Neurociências e Doença

Arquitetura da Sinapse e Envelhecimento

Envelhecimento

Declínio cognitivo

Organização à nanoescala da sinapse

Resiliência sináptica

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Líder

Joana Ferreira

Investigador(a)


Linhas de interesse

Definir a organização à nanoescala das sinapses durante o envelhecimento, especificamente as conexões trans-sinápticas.

Determinar de que forma as interações entre proteínas regulam a plasticidade sináptica e como estas se alteram durante o envelhecimento

Caracterizar as alterações relacionadas com a idade na morfologia e na composição molecular das sinapses.

Identificar os mecanismos moleculares e estruturais subjacentes à vulnerabilidade sináptica e ao declínio cognitivo.

Determinar os mecanismos que promovem a resiliência sináptica durante o envelhecimento, incluindo potenciais diferenças específicas entre os sexos.

Visão Geral

O Grupo de Arquitetura Sináptica e Envelhecimento investiga as alterações moleculares e estruturais das sinapses à escala nanométrica que estão na base do desempenho cognitivo durante o envelhecimento. O nosso principal objetivo é compreender de que forma o envelhecimento afeta a função sináptica e contribui para o declínio cognitivo associado à idade. Recorrendo a técnicas avançadas de bioquímica, imagiologia molecular e microscopia de super-resolução, estudamos como a arquitetura sináptica evolui ao longo do envelhecimento e de que forma estas alterações afetam a comunicação neuronal. Ao investigar a arquitetura das sinapses à escala nanométrica e as complexas interações moleculares que sustentam o desempenho cognitivo durante o envelhecimento, procuramos identificar princípios fundamentais da comunicação neuronal e da plasticidade sináptica ao longo do envelhecimento. Este conhecimento fundamental é essencial para construir uma compreensão abrangente do funcionamento do cérebro ao longo de toda a vida.

Publicações

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Informação sobre artigos em revista, actualizada a 23-08-2026, a partir da plataforma CIÊNCIAVITAE.

Neurexins, Ephrin Receptors and N-cadherin Signaling: Emerging Mechanisms in Synaptic Dysfunction and Neurodegenerative Diseases

Gonçalves-Martins, J.; Cação, Carlos; Ferreira, Joana S, 2026. Communications Biology. 2026. under revision Communications Biology

Neuronal ARHGAP8 controls synapse structure and AMPA receptor-mediated synaptic transmission

Schmidt, Jeannette; Inácio, Ângela; Ferreira, Joana S; Serrenho, Débora; Socodato, Renato; Beltrão, Nuno; Ribeiro, Luís F; et al, 2026. Communications Biology. 2026. 10.1038/s42003-026-09884-5 . in press Communications Biology

3D-STORM-based nanoscale organization of NMDA receptors in hippocampal brain tissue

Ferreira, Joana S; Jeanne Linarès-Loyez; Pierre Bon; Laurent Cognet; Laurent Groc, 2025. STAR Protocols. 2025. published STAR Protocols

GluN3A subunit tunes NMDA receptor synaptic trafficking and content during postnatal brain development

Inmaculada M. González-González; John A. Gray; Joana Ferreira; María Jose Conde-Dusman; Delphine Bouchet; Isabel Perez-Otaño; Laurent Groc, 2023. Cell Reports. 2023. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.celrep.2023.112477 . 10.1016/j.celrep.2023.112477 . Cell Reports

Near-Infrared Carbon Nanotube Tracking Reveals the Nanoscale Extracellular Space around Synapses

Paviolo, Chiara; Ferreira, Joana S.; Lee, Antony; Hunter, Daniel; Calaresu, Ivo; Nandi, Somen; Groc, Laurent; Cognet, Laurent, 2022. Nano Letters. 6849 - 6856. 17. 22. 2022. http://dx.doi.org/10.1021/acs.nanolett.1c04259 . 10.1021/acs.nanolett.1c04259 . Nano Letters

CaMKII activation persistently segregates postsynaptic proteins via liquid phase separation

Tomohisa Hosokawa; Pin-Wu Liu; Qixu Cai; Joana S. Ferreira; Florian Levet; Corey Butler; Jean-Baptiste Sibarita; et al, 2021. Nature Neuroscience. 777 - 785. 6. 24. 2021. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41593-021-00843-3 . 10.1038/s41593-021-00843-3 . Nature Neuroscience

CaMKII activation triggers persistent formation and segregation of postsynaptic liquid phase

Tomohisa Hosokawa; Pin-Wu Liu; Qixu Cai; Joana S. Ferreira; Florian Levet; Corey Butler; Jean-Baptiste Sibarita; et al, 2021. Nature Neuroscience. 2021. https://doi.org/10.1101/2020.11.25.397091 . 10.1101/2020.11.25.397091 . accepted Nature Neuroscience

Interplay between NMDA receptor dynamics and the synaptic proteasome

Joana S. Ferreira; Blanka Kellermayer; Ana Luísa Carvalho; Laurent Groc, 2021. European Journal of Neuroscience. 2021. https://doi.org/10.1111/ejn.15427 . 10.1111/ejn.15427 . European Journal of Neuroscience

A Bottom-Up Approach to Red-Emitting Molecular-Based Nanoparticles with Natural Stealth Properties and their Use for Single-Particle Tracking Deep in Brain Tissue.

Ferreira, Joana S, 2021. Advanced materials (Deerfield Beach, Fla.). 2021. https://doi.org/10.1002/adma.202006644 . 10.1002/adma.202006644 . Advanced materials (Deerfield Beach, Fla.)

Distance-dependent regulation of NMDAR nanoscale organization along hippocampal neuron dendrites

Joana S. Ferreira; Julien P. Dupuis; Blanka Kellermayer; Nathan Bénac; Constance Manso; Delphine Bouchet; Florian Levet; et al, 2020. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. 2020. https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1922477117 . 10.1073/pnas.1922477117 . Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences

Fluorescent sp3 Defect-Tailored Carbon Nanotubes Enable NIR-II Single Particle Imaging in Live Brain Slices at Ultra-Low Excitation Doses

Amit Kumar Mandal; Xiaojian Wu; Joana S. Ferreira; Mijin Kim; Lyndsey R. Powell; Hyejin Kwon; Laurent Groc; YuHuang Wang; Laurent Cognet, 2020. Scientific Reports. 1. 10. 2020. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-020-62201-w . 10.1038/s41598-020-62201-w . Scientific Reports

Self-Interference (SELFI) Microscopy for Live Super-Resolution Imaging and Single Particle Tracking in 3D

Ferreira, Joana S, 2019. 2019. http://dx.doi.org/10.3389/fphy.2019.00068 . 10.3389/fphy.2019.00068 .

Nanoscale exploration of the extracellular space in the live brain by combining single carbon nanotube tracking and super-resolution imaging analysis

Ferreira, Joana S, 2019. Methods (San Diego, Calif.). 2019. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ymeth.2019.03.005 . 10.1016/j.ymeth.2019.03.005 . Methods (San Diego, Calif.)

Differential Nanoscale Topography and Functional Role of GluN2-NMDA Receptor Subtypes at Glutamatergic Synapses

Ferreira, Joana, 2018. Neuron. 2018. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.neuron.2018.09.012 . 10.1016/j.neuron.2018.09.012 . Neuron

Co-agonists differentially tune GluN2B-NMDA receptor trafficking at hippocampal synapses

Joana S Ferreira; Thomas Papouin; Laurent Ladépêche; Andrea Yao; Valentin C Langlais; Delphine Bouchet; Jérôme Dulong; et al, 2017. eLife. 6. 2017. https://doi.org/10.7554/eLife.25492 . 10.7554/eLife.25492 . eLife

Biotinylation and Purification of Plasma Membrane-associated Proteins from Rodent Cultured Neurons

Caldeira, Margarida; Ferreira, Joana; Carvalho, Ana; Duarte, Carlos, 2016. BIO-PROTOCOL. 10. 6. 2016. http://dx.doi.org/10.21769/bioprotoc.1807 . 10.21769/bioprotoc.1807 . BIO-PROTOCOL

Multiple domains in the C-terminus of NMDA receptor GluN2B subunit contribute to neuronal death following in vitro ischemia.

Vieira MM; Schmidt J; Ferreira JS; She K; Oku S; Mele M; Santos AE; et al, 2016. 2016. http://europepmc.org/abstract/med/26581639 . 10.1016/j.nbd.2015.11.007 .

Single nanoparticle tracking of N-methyl-D-aspartate receptors in cultured and intact brain tissue

Varela, J.A.; Ferreira, J.S.; Dupuis, J.P.; Durand, P.; Bouchet, D.; Groc, L.; Varela JA; et al, 2016. Neurophotonics. 4. 3. 2016. http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?eid=2-s2.0-84991525161&partnerID=MN8TOARS . 10.1117/1.NPh.3.4.041808] . Neurophotonics

GluN2B-Containing NMDA Receptors Regulate AMPA Receptor Traffic through Anchoring of the Synaptic Proteasome

Ferreira, J. S.; Schmidt, J.; Rio, P.; Águas, R.; Rooyakkers, A.; Li, K. W.; Smit, A. B.; Craig, A. M.; Carvalho, A. L., 2015. J Neurosci. 8462 - 79. 22. 35. 2015. 10.1523/JNEUROSCI.3567-14.2015 . J Neurosci

Glutamate binding to the GluN2B subunit controls surface trafficking of N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptors.

She K; Ferreira JS; Carvalho AL; Craig AM, 2012. 2012. http://europepmc.org/abstract/med/22740692 . 10.1074/jbc.M112.345108 .

Contactin-associated protein 1 (Caspr1) regulates the traffic and synaptic content of a-amino-3-hydroxy-5-methyl-4-isoxazolepropionic acid (AMPA)-type glutamate receptors.

Santos SD; Iuliano O; Ribeiro L; Veran J; Ferreira JS; Rio P; Mulle C; Duarte CB; Carvalho AL, 2012. 2012. http://europepmc.org/abstract/med/22223644 . 10.1074/jbc.M111.322909 .

Activity and protein kinase C regulate synaptic accumulation of N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptors independently of GluN1 splice variant.

Ferreira JS; Rooyakkers A; She K; Ribeiro L; Carvalho AL; Craig AM, 2011. 2011. http://europepmc.org/abstract/med/21676872 . 10.1074/jbc.M111.222539 .

Characterization of alternatively spliced isoforms of AMPA receptor subunits encoding truncated receptors.

Gomes AR; Ferreira JS; Paternain AV; Lerma J; Duarte CB; Carvalho AL, 2008. 2008. http://europepmc.org/abstract/med/18065236 . 10.1016/j.mcn.2007.10.008 .

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